Wyoming Hiked: Bridger Peak on the Continental Divide Trail

Well, it is about darn time I did this hike!

Hiking to the summit of Bridger Peak in southern Wyoming has been on the “to do” list of hikes for years now, but I never made the commitment to doing it, being two and a half hours away from home. With the summer bucket list evaporated into thin air, I set my sights on something more obtainable with a bum shoulder… here’s to ticking off more Continental Divide Trail (CDT) miles in Wyoming!

Bridger Peak is the high point of the Sierra Madre range in southeastern Wyoming, a slice of the Rocky Mountains I played in a lot as a child, but have neglected for thirty-some years at this point. Accessed by a forest road (which is completely Subaru-able as I discovered as I was hiking), this 11,004 foot summit was once home to a fire lookout, now decommissioned. And cherry on top, it lies on the CDT, my favorite long-distance hiking trail.

Two llamas peering out from the back of a horse trailer on a winding road. — I followed up llamas up Battle Pass, which was amusing! And before heading to the start of the hike, I stopped to use the vault toilets at Battle Pass.

Sign for Battle Pass at an elevation of 9,955 feet, indicating the Continental Divide and Medicine Bow National Forest, with directional arrows for Atlantic and Pacific. — I followed up llamas up Battle Pass, which was amusing! And before heading to the start of the hike, I stopped to use the vault toilets at Battle Pass.

After parking in a large clearing swarmed by campers running generators, I set out to find the trail. AllTrails describes the hike to Bridger Peak as an out-and-back on the forest road. This was fine and all (and I would take the forest road back), but my main goal was to tick off more CDT miles so I branched off on the narrow singletrack.

Historical sign for Bridger Peak Road detailing the life of explorer Jim Bridger, featuring images and text about his trades and experiences. — Obligatory unofficial trailhead sign

Before I could make it on the trail, I was stopped by a volunteer: “It is late to see a NOBO [northbound] hiker!” I laughed, and explained I was just day hiking. He then admitted I smelled too good and looked too alive to be a thru-hiker, topped off with “No offense, but there is too much meat on your bones to have walked from Mexico.” All in good fun, and I enjoyed our conversation! It would not be the last time I was mistaken for a thru-hiker on this day, as the local community is very familiar with CDT hikers, and I spent plenty of time explaining I was just knocking off one small section at a time. This all made me so excited to be near a community so familiar with my favorite trail!

A person placing their hand on a wooden trail sign in a forested area, with a watch visible on their wrist. — Branching off to stay on the CDT, and tapping the marker…which now is apparently a new habit of mine, so I tap them all!

The narrow singletrack, trodden but not that trodden, immediately gained elevation, leaving me huffing and puffing (I was around 10,000 feet after all!). Luckily the steep climb only lasted about a quarter-mile, and then the terrain flattened in a gentle rollercoaster.

A scenic forest trail surrounded by tall trees and green underbrush under a clear blue sky. — Gaining elevation through the trees

Tall evergreen trees in a forest setting under a clear blue sky, with a grassy path winding through the woods. — Gaining elevation through the trees

A wooden trail marker stands in the foreground, with a dirt path winding into a grassy area and rocky terrain in the background, under a clear blue sky. — Winding around a rocky ridge

A person hiking through a field surrounded by tall coniferous trees under a clear blue sky. — Propped up my phone so I could get a “selfie.”

A person in a patterned blue shirt and sunglasses, holding a branch of a green tree, with a background of forest and grassland. — Stopping to smell a tree. I don’t know, either.

Close-up view of green foliage along a forest path with sunlight filtering through trees. — I love a good, lush ground cover!

After about 1.3 miles the singletrack meets the forest road, and the CDT follows this road until shortly before the summit. While the scenery was pretty, walking a road, even a rocky forest track, can feel mundane. I realized pretty quickly I could’ve have driven to Bridger Peak, which made me giggle (obviously hiking was always the #1 choice because CDT and all).

A forest scene featuring a dirt path diverging into two directions, surrounded by tall trees and patches of grass. A weathered wooden post and a fallen log are visible in the foreground. — Reunited with the forest road

A scenic landscape featuring a meadow surrounded by tall evergreen trees under a clear blue sky. — Typical scenery as I climbed

Close-up of white dried flowers with green foliage and rocky ground. — Western pearly everlasting

A dirt path winding through a forested area with tall green coniferous trees under a clear blue sky.

At 3.7 miles, I realized I saw a confidence marker out in the grass. So apparently the official CDT turns off the road, and just goes across open country (or so few people take it, the trail is simply not worn in). Not being able to resist the official route, I picked my way through the sub-alpine tundra. Every footstep counts, eh?

A wooden post standing on a rocky base in a grassy, forested area with tall pine trees and a clear blue sky. — LOL, apparently this is the official CDT. Allrighty then!

A close-up of a weathered wooden post with a circular carving, surrounded by a grassy field and conifer trees under a clear blue sky. — See, it’s the CDT!

A trail marker made of a wooden post and stacked stones, surrounded by trees and grassy terrain in a mountainous area. — This was a fun little adventure

A grassy hillside with scattered rocks and pine trees against a clear blue sky. — This was a fun little adventure

A panoramic view of a rocky hilltop surrounded by evergreen trees, with a clear blue sky and distant mountain ranges in the background. — So close to the summit, now!

Before I knew it, I was on the summit of Bridger Peak at a little over 11,000 feet in elevation. There was an actual SOBO thru-hiker on the summit, who I tried to chat up before I realized he was on the phone (whoops, sorry!). I skirted around the remains of the fire lookout that once stood on the summit (along with modern day communication and weather equipment), and found a great spot to enjoy an Uncrustable and banana.

A solar-powered weather monitoring station on a rocky mountaintop, surrounded by pine trees and under a clear blue sky. — The summit of Bridger Peak itself isn’t that pretty, with the fire lookout ruins and modern-day equipment

A weather station on a rocky mountaintop with a solar panel, antennas, and scattered boulders under a clear blue sky. — The summit of Bridger Peak itself isn’t that pretty, with the fire lookout ruins and modern-day equipment

A person wearing a colorful patterned hoodie and sunglasses poses for a selfie on a mountaintop, with solar panels and a scenic view of mountains and trees in the background. — Bridger Peak summit, 11,004′!

View from a mountaintop showing a person's legs with hiking boots resting on rocks, a backpack nearby, and a mountainous landscape in the background under a blue sky. — Nice spot for a lunch break

Panoramic view of mountains with labeled peaks and their elevations, including Bridger Peak at 10,961 ft, against a clear blue sky. — PeakFinder views of distant mountains

A panoramic view of a mountain landscape with various peaks labeled, showcasing their names and elevations, under a clear blue sky. — PeakFinder views of distant mountains

A scenic view of rolling green forests and distant mountains under a partly cloudy sky. — Looking towards Medicine Bow Peak, my favoritest mountain of all!

Panoramic view of a mountainous landscape with rolling hills and dense evergreen forests under a clear blue sky.

Scenic view of rolling hills covered in green pine trees under a clear blue sky, with rocky terrain in the foreground.

A metal survey marker embedded in a rocky surface, featuring text indicating it belongs to the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, with visible engravings and a date of 1948. — Bridger Peak survey marker

While windy (ummm, this is Wyoming?), I enjoyed my time on the summit, and distant views to mountains I’ve either stood on or have been close to. Of course, I had to drag myself away, and I eventually did, choosing to take the forest road all the way back to the car to change things up a bit.

Scenic view of a rocky trail winding through a mountainous landscape, surrounded by evergreen trees and open hills under a clear blue sky. — Heading back down the switchback from the summit

A close-up view of a person's leg and foot wearing a sneaker on a rocky trail, with loose stones and dirt visible on the ground. — This stuff sucks to hike downhill on… especially when you can’t fall on a fairly fresh operated-on shoulder!

It is funny how the return hike down a mountain always brings perspective on how much elevation was gained. While I felt wimpy on the hike, I came to realize just how steep it really had been, especially after not doing a lot of uphill hiking this summer! At exactly 8 miles (okay, so I walked around the car once to get the GPS off of 7.99 miles) and 3 hours 24 minutes, I arrived back to my car!

A person wearing a blue patterned outfit and sunglasses stands next to a sign for the Continental Divide Trail, surrounded by tall trees and a clear blue sky. — I walked down to the highway so I could complete out this tenth-mile stretch on this section!

All-in-all, I enjoyed my hike to Bridger Peak. I am not the biggest fan of forest road hikes, but the views were great and the trees smell delicious! And for me, I love ticking off CDT miles! While I have plans to eventually hike south from Battle Pass to Steamboat Springs, I do not really have a plan to do the Battle Pass north to Rawlins stretch, so this was a chance to do a handful of those miles. This is also a great summit hike that isn’t too committing, and isn’t too crazy in elevation gain… but has the views!

Details:
All Trails Link
Date Hiked: September 6, 2026
Trailheads: Bridger Peak Road Historical Marker (look for a CDT marker on the right shortly after descending from Battle Pass southbound on Highway 70)
Total Mileage: 8 miles (Garmin Enduro 3)
Total Elevation Gain: 1,644 feet
Total Time Spent: 3 hours 24 minutes
Weather: Sunny
Trail Conditions: Dry
Cell Service: Spotty service throughout the hike, with great service on the summit (Verizon)
Special Considerations: This hike will take place mostly on a forest road, so expect ATV, side-by-side, and vehicle traffic (I found all traffic to be super polite). All Trails’ version does not follow the exact CDT, so watch for CDT confidence markers if desiring to hike all the way on the actual CDT. Hunting season (bird along with bow and rifle for elk) begins around end of August, with bow season beginning first, will bring hunters to the area (so wear blaze orange!).